Showing posts with label MTV First Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MTV First Day. Show all posts

Sunday, August 1, 2021

MTV Debuted August 1, 1981

 It was 40 years ago today ... (to commandeer a phrase).

Just after midnight on August 1, 1981, the world's first 24 hour video music channel launched.  At the time, only a few cable systems in New Jersey had MTV, though this quickly changed -- primarily due to consumer pressure driven by the "I Want My MTV" ad campaign:


MTV quickly became a sensation, and those of us who lived through the music revolution will never forget it.  In fact, we started our little blog 10 years ago (August 2011), after being inspired by the hoopla around the 30th anniversary of MTV.

Below is the first two hours of MTV, including commercials. We hope that you dig it.



As for ERV ... more videos will be coming soon :)

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Split Enz - I Got You

Split Enz (the NZ is a reference to New Zealand, where the band originated) formed in 1973 in Auckland.  The founders - Tim Finn and Phil Judd - wanted to create an eclectic pop band; hence the name (which was originally spelled correctly).

During the 1970s, the group went through a myriad of changes, both in terms of style and personnel.  The most significant change was Judd's departure; he was replaced by Tim Finn's brother Neil in 1977. During much of this period, Split Enz was a flamboyant art rock band, but they had little success outside of New Zealand and Australia.

This changed with their 1980 release, True Colours, which was something of a coming out party for Neil as a songwriter.  The resulting material had a stronger pop sound, and this combined with more straight-forward visuals allowed Split Enz to ride the New Wave (see what we did there?)

True Colours became a #1 album in Australia and New Zealand, and broke into the charts in the U.S.  "I Got You" also charted, though it only reached #53 on the U.S. charts.  However, it was top 40 in several countries, and hit #1 in Australia and New Zealand.

While the group continued releasing records for the first half of the 1980s, there seemed to be a growing musical disconnect between Tim and Neil, and Tim Finn finally quit the group in 1984.  Shortly afterwards, Neil broke up Split Enz and went on to even greater success in Crowded House.  The Finn brothers did work together on Crowded House's 1991 LP, Woodface, and more recently as The Finn Brothers. 


Cool trivia fact:  As mentioned above, Split Enz is a no hit wonder in the U.S.; "I Got You" (#53) was their highest charting single.  However, Neil Finn did have two top 40 hits with Crowded House - "Don't Dream It's Over" (#2) and "Something So Strong" (#7).

Cool trivia fact #2: "I Got You" was the 81st video played on MTV's first day; interestingly, it was the third Split Enz video played on MTV, after "History Never Repeats" and "One Step Ahead."

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Ultravox - Vienna

Huge in the UK and Europe and relatively unknown in the U.S., Ultravox were an influential band that helped lay the foundation for synth pop.  The group formed in London in 1973, and was originally called Tiger Lilly.  The name was changed to Ultravox! when the act signed with Island Records in 1976, and the ! was dropped a few years later.

For all practical purposes, there were two versions of the band.  From the early days until 1979, Ultravox was led by John Foxx, and had an artsy synth-rock sound (to my ear, the sound is in the same genre as Devo).  Foxx left in '79 to start a solo career, and was replaced by Midge Ure, who pushed the band's sound in a lush, artistic direction.

The revitalized Ultravox would go on the have significant success in the 1980s in the UK, with 5 top 10 LPs and 16 top 40 singles, led by "Vienna," which hit #2 on the UK charts.  However, they made barely a ripple in the U.S., where only one album broke the top 100, and no singles reached the top 40.

I don't recall seeing the video on my favorite video music channel, but it is quite strong, especially for an early clip. Influenced by the 1949 movie The Third Man (which takes place in Vienna),  it was mostly shot in London, primarily at Covent Garden.  Interestingly, the band paid for the video, as their label at the time (Chrysalis) didn't think it was worth it.  [How things would change a few years later.]

As previously mentioned, Ultravox was successful through the eighties in Europe - and Midge Ure even co-wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas."  However, artistic difference led the Ure leaving the band in 1988, and the group broke up a few years later.  They did re-form (with Ure) in 2008, and played until 2017, but appear to have disbanded for a second time as of this writing.


Cool trivia fact "Vienna" was the 135th video played on MTV's first day.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Styx - A.D. 1928 / Rockin' the Paradise

Long time readers will recall that videos which were played during the first day of MTV (August 1, 1981) have a special place in our hearts at ERV.  Is this rational?  Probably not. (Especially since we did not get MTV on our cable system until the following summer).  But there you have it.

Which brings us the Styx' "A.D. 1928 / Rockin' The Paradise," the 10th video played on MTV (yes, ever).  "A.D. 1928" is the piano and keyboard intro, while "Rockin' the Paradise" begins with the guitars (around 1:10 below).  The song is a good example of the band combining different musical styles, while the live (ish) video highlights the band's showmanship.

Styx are an interesting band and an unlikely success story.  The group formed in Chicago in the late 1960s and officially became Styx when they signed their first recording contract in 1972.  Originally a prog rock act, the band's style become progressively more pop rock during the 1970s, leading to their 1977 breakout, The Grand Illusion.

"Rockin' the Paradise" was off the group's 1981 Paradise Theater album, a concept album based on the opening and eventual closing of a theater in Chicago.  By this point, the tension between guitarists Tommy Shaw / James Young (who were more rock oriented) and keyboardist Dennis DeYoung (who was more pop ballad focused) were nearing a breaking point.  The conflict would eventually boil over during the 1983 Kilroy Was Here album and the group would break up the following year.

In spite of this, the Paradise Theater album would reach #1 on the charts, although "Rockin' the Paradise" surprisingly did not chart.  However, "The Best of Times" (#3) and "Too Much Time on My Hands" (#9) would both break the top 10.

Styx re-formed in 1989 (without Tommy Shaw, who was in Damn Yankees at the time), broke up in 1992, and reformed in 1995.  They remain together (with some personnel changes) as of this writing.



Tommy Shaw's solo video for "Girls With Guns" was posted on ERV in September 2013.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Fischer-Z - So Long

Fischer-Z (named after two of Ronald Fisher's statistical formulas) was a quirky British new wave act.  The group had the potential to be akin to Talking Heads, even if Americans didn't pronounce the name correctly (Fisher's Zed, not Fisher Zee).  Mixing new wave, reggae and rock with interesting lyrics, the act became somewhat successful in Europe, but never enjoyed more than cult status in the U.K. and U.S.

The band was formed in London in 1978 by John Watts (vocals, guitars) and Steve Skolnik (keyboards), but it was really Watts' band from the get go.  They quickly signed to United Artists and released their debut album in 1979.  Their second LP, the wonderfully named Going Deaf for a Living (1980) built on their success in Europe, and the "So Long" single even reached #72 on the U.K. charts.

Skolnik quit after Going Deaf for a Living, but Watts released a strong follow up (1981's Red Skies Over Paradise) before deciding that he did not want to be constrained within a band.  (Even if it was his band).  Watts released three solo records before resurrecting the Fischer-Z name in 1987; he seems to have used both names during most of the ensuing years.

The video for "So Long" is awesome, in a totally 1980 sort of way.  Shots of the band playing are mixed with vintage cars and a Humphrey Bogart look-alike private eye (no relation to Hall & Oates).  The results are ... well, see for yourself:



Cool trivia fact:  "So Long" was the 112th video ever played on MTV, and was played on the first day.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Tesla - Little Suzi

Some videos just cry out for inclusion on ERV; Tesla's cover of "Little Suzi" being one great case in point.  The single was from Tesla's debut LP, 1986's Mechanical Resonance.  Although the song picked up a bit of airplay on rock radio, it barely dented the charts at #91, though the album went platinum and peaked at #32.

Telsa is an interesting band -- they were positioned as a hair metal group, but never quite fit the bill, and were in fact more of a straight up hard rock act.  They originally formed in Sacramento in 1982 and performed under the name City Kidd for several years, before changing their name (due to their manager's suggestion and during the recording of their first LP).  The band's jeans and T-shirt image, along with more complex songs (often with somewhat unconventional lyrics) differentiated them from the run-of-the-mill pop metal act.

The group released four consecutive albums that broke the top 40, and even scored two top 40 singles ("Love Song" and "Signs") between 1986 and 1994.  In 1994, guitarist Tommy Skeoch left Tesla due to drug problems, and the group broke up shortly afterward, before re-forming in 2000.  They continue to perform as of this writing, though Skeoch left the band again in 2006.

The video for "Little Suzi" is a pretty standard staged performance clip, but it does fit the band and the song reasonably well.


"Little Suzi" is also noteworthy to us as is it a cover of a song by the British act Ph.D.  The original version of the song was called "Little Suzi's on the Up" and was from that band's self-titled 1981 debut.  By the by, Ph.D. got its name from the last names of the three members -- Simon Phillips, Tony Hymas, and Jim Diamond.

Neither the single nor the LP charted in the U.S., but the somewhat eccentric video for "Little Suzi's on the Up" was the fifth vid ever played on MTV.  (Other first day videos featured on ERV can be located by using the MTV First Day label on the right.)

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Rainbow - Can't Happen Here

Make no mistake, Rainbow was Ritchie Blackmore's band.  Founded after Blackmore left Deep Purple in 1975, Rainbow saw a nearly continuous turnover of members until Blackmore broke up the band (to return to a re-formed Deep Purple) in 1984.  Similarly, the band's sound evolved through the years, changing from a classical-influenced hard rock band to a more commercial oriented sound.

"Can't Happen Here" came when the band was firmly seeking commercial success.  The song was off the 1981 Difficult to Cure album, which received mixed reviews (to put it kindly).  Ironically, this more mainstream sound did not generate the huge success that Blackmore had hoped for; the album peaked at #50, while the single did not chart on the main charts in the U.S. (It did hit #13 on the Mainstream Rock charts).

The video is a pretty standard performance piece with some nice additional footage thrown in.  The video features Blackmore and new lead singer Joe Lynn Turner (who replaced the awesomely named Graham Bonnet during the recording sessions for the LP).  Turner would remain with the band until their 1984 breakup.

Rainbow would continue to focus on commercial success in the early 1980s, and would even score their one top 40 single, "Stone Cold" (which reached #40) in 1982.  Readers may also remember "Street of Dreams," which hit #60 on the charts the following year.

Blackmore remained with the reunified Deep Purple until 1994, at which point he re-formed Rainbow.  That version of the band released one album in 1995, which did not chart.  Since the late 1990s Blackmore has been performing as Blackmore's Night with his wife (Candice Night); they are a folk-rock act.



Cool trivia fact:  "Can't Happen Here" was the 52nd video played on MTV.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Blotto - I Wanna Be A Lifeguard

The 36th video played on MTV's first day was the humorous and slightly bizarre "I Wanna Be a Lifeguard" by Blotto.  The video music channel continued to play the video for some time, and it became something of a trendsetter -- in its early years, MTV played a small number of eccentric videos mixed in with more traditional counterparts.  This gradually ended by the late 1980s.

Blotto was an unlikely success story.  The band formed in 1978 in Albany, New York and built a small following over the next couple of years.  Named after a dog in the 1931 Thorne Smith novel The Night Life of the Gods, the group used pseudonyms -- all with the last name Blotto (a nod to the Ramones).  Their comedy-infused new wave was not totally out of place with acts like the B-52s and The Tubes leading to gigs in metro New York (coincidentally, the headquarters of MTV).

In 1980, the band cut an EP - Hello, My Name Is Blotto, What's Yours and worked with some students at SUNY Albany to make a video of "I Wanna Be A Lifeguard."  The result is below.  In retrospect, videos with any kind of story were rare in the early days of MTV, giving the band a leg up.

Unfortunately, this early exposure did not lead to a huge amount of success as MTV was just starting its meteoric rise.  Blotto did release some additional work including an LP (1983's Combo Akimbo) before breaking up in 1984.  The surviving members of the group (bassist "Cheese Blotto" (Keith Stephenson) passed away in 1999) continue to perform periodically as of this writing.


Thursday, September 26, 2013

Robin Lane & The Chartbusters - When Things Go Wrong

The 11th video ever played on MTV, "When Things Go Wrong" is another great, nearly forgotten classic by Robin Lane & The Chartbusters.  Lane was a native Californian who began her career as a folk artist in the late 1960s.  By the mid-1970s, she had moved to Massachusetts and became involved in the vibrant punk and new wave scene.  After hanging out at the legendary Rathskeller club (nicknamed The Rat) in Boston, she decided to put a group together.

The resulting band released an independent three song EP in 1979, which sold more than 10,000 copies.  Later that year, Jerry Wexler (one of the most well-regarded A&R executives in the industry) signed them to Warner Bros. and the band's major label LP came out in 1980.  Unfortunately, poorly produced records and a lack of marketing doomed the group.  "When Things Go Wrong" managed to reach #87 on the singles chart, but the band did not have another charting single or album as far as we can tell.  By 1983 the Chartbusters had broken up, although Lane remained in the industry.

In 2001, there was a Robin Lane & The Chartbusters reunion, which led to a new album in 2003.  More recently, Lane has been involved with the Turners Falls Women's Resource Center, where she uses music therapy to help abuse survivors. [As an aside, this gets our vote for coolest post rock star job ever.]



Cool trivia fact:  Robin Lane was married to Andy Summers (guitarist of The Police) from 1968-70.

Addendum:  Thanks to reader Shellie, who mentioned a TV show in Boston, called Chronicle, that featured Robin Lane over the summer.  The show is up on YouTube (here), for folks who are interested (It gets a recommendation from ERV).

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Ramones - Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?

Often viewed by critics as the first punk band, the Ramones are an incredibly important act in the history of rock and roll.  By stripping rock down to its basic elements, they created something new, brash and exciting, and breathed new life into the music industry.

The roots of the Ramones go back to early 1960s rock and roll, and the band's style (jeans, leather jackets) showed these influences.  This was probably one of the factors that made them so influential -- they were doing something new, but it was connected to rock's past.

The Ramones got their start in New York City, and they quickly became part of the punk/new wave scene at CBGB's that included Blondie, Talking Heads, and Television among others.  Their early sets (often featuring 10 songs in 20 minutes) soon gathered a following, and they were signed by Sire in 1975.   Their debut album came out the following year, and the band then began a relentless touring schedule for the next 20 or so years.

In spite of the band's importance, they had only modest commercial success, and in 1980 they decided to work with Phil Spector on their fifth album, End of the Century.  While the combination was a bit weird, it also made some sense, as the band's 1960s influences and desire for more commercial success fit well with Spector's strengths.  The resulting album was surprisingly good, though the recording sessions were tumultuous (at one point, Spector apparently pulled a gun on the band).

While End of the Century was the band's highest charting LP, it only reached #44, and none of the singles charted.  The band would go on to tour and release records up until their breakup in 1996.  Sadly, Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee would all pass away within eight years of the breakup.


Cool trivia facts:  "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?" was the 103rd video played on MTV (on the first day).

The Ramones never had a top 40 hit; 1977's "Rockaway Beach" was their highest charting single at #66.

In 2002, Spin Magazine ranked the Ramones as the second greatest band ever, trailing only the Beatles.

The Ramones video for "Pet Sematary" was posted on the blog in October 2013 as part of our annual All Hallows Even celebration.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Talking Heads - Once In a Lifetime

The 63rd video aired on MTV, "Once In a Lifetime" is now often viewed as one of the most significant songs and videos of the 1980s.  The song was named to the NPR 100 (the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century) while the video has been displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Talking Heads was made up of three friends from the Rhode Island School of Design (David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth) who were subsequently joined by Jerry Harrison (who had played in Jonathan Richman's band The Modern Lovers).  The band came out of the vibrant punk/new wave scene at New York's CBGBs, along with the Ramones, Blondie, and Television, among others.

Allmusic characterizes Talking Heads as art-school punks, which is a great description.  The band incorporated punk, new wave and world music influences into something that resembled artistic pop music.  The formula did not always work, but at their best, Talking Heads made some of the most artistic and interesting music of their era.

"Once In a Lifetime" was the lead single off the band's fourth record, 1980's Remain in Light.  While the album sold well and reached #19 on the charts, "Once In a Lifetime" did not break the top 100, peaking at #103.  (It did better in the U.K., where it reached #14.)  Remain in Light was also the third LP where Talking Heads collaborated with Brian Eno, who co-wrote, produced and engineered the album.

The video was one of the craziest, most creative things shown on early MTV.  Choreographed by Toni Basil (of "Mickey" fame), it consists of David's Byrne's crazed marionette-like spasms, which are combined with additional footage in the background.  Somehow, the whole thing comes together, and the result is a musical and visual masterpiece.


Cool trivia fact:  Rolling Stone rated Remain in Light as the 4th best album of the 1980s, and the 39th greatest album ever.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Hilly Michaels - Calling All Girls

Unless you are a big time music aficionado, the name Hilly Michaels probably doesn't mean much to you.  This is a shame, because Hilly had a really interesting, slightly crazy career that includes 2 good hyper-bubblegum albums and a ton of jobs as a session drummer.

Hilly (given name: Michael Hillman) started drumming in the late 1960s with Michael Bolton and went on to work with Sparks, Dan Hartman ("Instant Replay"), Ellen Foley and Ian Hunter ("All of the Good Ones Are Taken"), among others.  In 1980 he released his first solo album, Calling All Girls.  Produced by Roy Thomas Baker (famous for his work with The Cars and Queen), Calling All Girls is critically acclaimed for its uptempo new wave popiness.  The album is filled with well-crafted pop songs and features appearances by Liza Minnelli (really), Elton John, Greg Hawkes (Cars) and G.E. Smith (SNL).

The "Calling All Girls" video was an early classic on MTV and it is not hard to see why.  In addition to the catchy pop song, the vibrant animation really distinguishes this video from other of the era.  In fact, "Calling All Girls" was the 93rd song ever played on MTV (the first day), and it remained an early favorite of the channel for some time.

In spite of the strong material, the album did not connect with listeners and Hilly's second album, 1981's Lumia did not fare any better.  Hilly remained active for years as a session drummer, before leaving the industry to live in the Caribbean and then Florida for a number of years.  He still performs one a somewhat unpredictable basis to the present day.



Cool trivia fact: Hilly's manager was Jake Hooker.  That name doesn't ring a bell?  Well, Hooker was the guitarist of the Arrows, famous for writing and recording the original version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," later made famous by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.  [The link will magically transport you to the March 2012 ERV blog post featuring the original and the cover.]

Cool trivia fact #2:  Michaels was asked to join KISS twice -- in 1980 and in 1990.  He declined both times.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

J. Geils Band - Love Stinks

You have to just love a video that starts with the drummer playing on his set in an alley with frozen fish (yes, you read that correctly), followed by some great power chords and a guy playing two trumpets while bouncing on a pogo stick.  Welcome to the wonderful, slightly insane world of the J. Geils Band.

The band formed in the late 1960s, and had a solid career in the 1970s, with its blues-influenced bar rock and energetic live shows.  Their breakout album was, of course, 1981's Freeze Frame, which was a #1 LP with two top five singles ("Centerfold" and the title cut).  As is typical for ERV, we are going to dig a tiny bit deeper and go with the title song from their 1980 album -- Love Stinks.  

"Love Stinks" is a bit more rocking than most of J. Geils' early 80s songs, but shows the direction that the band was moving towards -- a more radio friendly sound with strong hooks and slick production techniques.    Ironically, this transition would lead to huge success a year later but also accelerated the end of the band, as the creative tensions between singer Peter Wolf and keyboardist Seth Justman (the band's songwriters) took its toll.

While the Love Stinks album peaked at #18, the single of the same name barely broke the top 40 at #38.  The well done video (unusual for its day) did generate some airplay on shows such as HBO's Video Jukebox, but was released before the video music revolution took hold.  Pity.



Some additional cool J. Geils insanity, also off the Love Stinks LP:  "No Anchovies, Please."

Cool trivia fact:  "Love Stinks" was the 83rd video ever played on MTV, and was played on the first day that the video channel was up.

J. Geils' "Come Back" was posted on ERV in June 2015.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Nazareth - Holiday

"Holiday" is a catchy tongue-in-cheek rock song that cleverly folds in several different musical styles (in particular, the chorus has a Caribbean feel that contrasts nicely with the rock verses).  It was released in 1980, and was off Nazareth's wonderfully named Malice in Wonderland LP, which goes on my "coolest album names ever" list, along with Thomas Dolby's Aliens Ate My Buick and the Hoodoo Gurus' Mars Needs Guitars.

Nazareth is an interesting band who never quite made it big, but managed to have a moderately successful career, while making some seriously good music.  The band started in Scotland in 1968 (!) and between 1975 and 1981, they had 7 consecutive albums break the U.S. top 100, although only 1975's Hair of the Dog broke the top 20.  We believe that they are an official one hit wonder, as only "Love Hurts" broke the top 40.  How "Hair of the Dog" didn't chart is beyond us.

"Holiday" did in fact chart, but it peaked at #87 in 1980.  The video combines the band performing with a young man playing a video game in a seemingly random way, but maybe it made more sense in 1980.  At any rate, it is a decent effort for an early video -- remember that MTV didn't even launch until August 1981. [As an aside, "Holiday" was played on MTV on the first day the channel was running -- it was video #138.]


Nazareth would continue to release albums on a regular basis through the 1980s, but without much success.  They continue to record and tour to this day -- the very definition of a hard working band.

Cool trivia fact that may interest only us:  The video game being played in the "Holiday" video is Super Road Champions, made by Model Racing in 1978.

Monday, April 9, 2012

April Wine - Just Between You and Me

As with any endeavor, inspiration for eighties videos can strike in strange ways.  After we finished the previous post (Lou Gramm's, "Just Between You and Me"), we thought that it would be cool to follow it up with April Wine's, "Just Between You and Me," a totally different song that has the same title (as astute readers will already have noticed).  Consider this a double shot of "Just Between ... "

Canadian rockers April Wine had been around for a lifetime by the time their 1981 album, Nature of the Beast came out.  The band formed in 1969 (!) and had released 8 albums prior to their U.S. breakout.  Nature of the Beast peaked at #26, and ended up going platinum in the U.S. (and double platinum in Canada).  In addition, two singles broke the U.S. top 100 -- "Just Between You and Me" (#21) and "Sign of the Gypsie Queen" (#57).

The video is pretty basic, highlighting the band in concert (in fact, "Sign of the Gypsie Queen" was shot using footage from the same concert).  We have to say, we love the three guitars and the big drum kit (with double bass); the whole thing is a great snapshot of a late 70s / early 80s rock band.



Cool trivia fact:  "Just Between You and Me" was the 14th video ever played on MTV and the first one by a Canadian performer, securing April Wine a place in music video history.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Michael Stanley Band - He Can't Love You

The Cleveland-based Michael Stanley Band is yet another group that made some great music, but never quite broke out at the national level.  They did, however, achieve no small measure of success in the Midwest during the 1970s and early 80s, due to their solid, if somewhat mainstream rock sound.

Ironically, 1980 found the band at an ebb in their career, as their label (Arista) dropped them.  With no other label showing any interest in them, the MSB recorded their own album, 1980's Heartland, without any outside interference.  Eventually, EMI heard the record, and signed the band to a four record contract.

"He Can't Love You" was the first single off Heartland and broke the top 40 (peaking at #33).  The band was no doubt helped by MTV, which played the song on their first day (the 45th video ever played on the fledgling channel).  Unfortunately, success proved elusive for the band, and they finally called it quits in 1986, after a series of farewell concerts in Ohio.



Cool trivia fact:  The Big Man, Clarence Clemons, played the sax on the studio recording (sadly, he does not appear in the video).

Note that the MSB's last top 40 single, "My Town," was posted on ERV in November 2014.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Pat Benatar - You Better Run

The second video played on MTV -- Pat Benatar's great cover of the Rascals "You Better Run."  From the 1980 Crimes of Passion LP, this video shows Benatar at the height of her powers.  Crimes would go on to sell more than 5 million units, and remains Benatar's biggest selling album of her career.  The album peaked at #2, and had 3 big hits ... and "You Better Run" was the lowest charting of them at 42.


This entry will also serve as the launching post for the "songs that you didn't know were covers."  "You Better Run" was originally recorded by The Rascals (originally called The Young Rascals) in 1966, and it actually charted, peaking at #20.  As an aside, The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  They are best known for the songs "Groovin'," "Good Lovin'," and "Mustang Sally." (We wonder if they briefly considered calling it "Mustan' Sally?")  Anyhow, here is the original version:




Also worth noting:  Benatar's "All Fired Up" was posted on ERV in March 2014 and "Promises in the Dark" was posted in March 2018.

The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star

The only proper way to start the blog.  This was the first video played on MTV, and started the music video revolution that we joined at an early age.  Not as rare as much of what will follow, but a worthy start.  The song was actually recorded in 1979, but the album (The Age of Plastic) wasn't released until 1980.  For trivia buffs, this song was played on MTV at midnight on August 1, 1981.